Farewell F-14 Tomcat Group Build - Start now, ends 12/31/07

Can someone help me

How do I add the group build badge to my page.

Sanman wrote:

Can someone help me How do I add the group build badge to my page.

sanman

save the gb's badge to a folder on the computer, then use either online photo such as yahoo photo or ( i use photobucket.com and its free ) then upload it there.  then you can use the link to copy and paste on your update profile on your account.  hope im clear  if not then shoot me lol   im breathing too much chemcials from the paints. 

Silentmodeler

Thanks for the help. The instructions were great.My next question was going to be, how do I post pictures, but now I see it's the same as posting the group build badge. I'm also going to use photobucket.

Thanks Again

Hello folks.

 I am in Kentuckey on my way to Baton Rouge,LA.Will be home on the 8th or the 9th so when I get in I will need your help with any photos or web links of the F-14 flaps down.I will have to change aircraft desination to the decals the come with the kit.It is a group off of the U.S.S.America.This is due to my the time I have off and the project that I have plan for this magnificencet bird....I know spelling,Digger.

Silentmodeler,

An oil wash is simply a wash made by using oil paints.  For mine, I use Turpenoid (odorless turpentine) and then add oil paint from a tube.  I usually mix about ten parts Turpenoid to one part paint, so for a small amount of wash, I will place ten drops (from an eyedropper) into a small container (my favorites are my used contact lens packages) then I add what looks like the equivalent of one drop of the oil paint by dipping a brush into the paint tube.  Washes can also be made by adding enamel paint to Testors Brush Cleaner (use a new bottle) using the same ratio of 10 parts thinner to one part paint, I just have a preference for the oils.

TARPS stands for Tactical Air Reconaissance Pod System.  Some F-14's were modified to carry a TARPS pod, and the Hasegawa kits come with this item (just no missiles, as you know).  This was essentially the Navy version of a spy plane, as they could fly into the area, take some picutres, and get out in a timely manner.  I have not really paid attention to see if the F/A-18's have this capability, but I would think that they would as well.  Anyway, back in my days onboard the carriers, each squadron had at least one plane that was TARPS capable.  I thought that I read somewhere that all D models were TARPS capable, but I will have to do some checking on that to be certain.  Basically, you would be safe showing a VF-143 plane with the TARPS pod, but it is your choice. 

 Another side note, VF-143 was attached to the Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) when I was onboard the ship in the late 1980's, along with their sister squadron VF-142 (the Ghostriders).  I really liked the markings of VF-142, and was greatly disappointed when they were one of the first F-14 squadrons to be disestablished.  One of my 1/32 Tamiya cats will be built with the Ghostriders markings, once I get around to it.

As always, let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

diggeraone wrote:

Hello folks.  I am in Kentuckey on my way to Baton Rouge,LA.Will be home on the 8th or the 9th so when I get in I will need your help with any photos or web links of the F-14 flaps down.I will have to change aircraft desination to the decals the come with the kit.It is a group off of the U.S.S.America.This is due to my the time I have off and the project that I have plan for this magnificencet bird....I know spelling,Digger.

Here is a couple links that you might find very usefull....

http://www.topedge.com/alley/alley.htm  Excellent site, loads of info, loads of photos; can get 'lost' on the site due to information overload.  If you are on an Interent dial-up connection, you may find this site quite slow.  Site also has some links to other sites.

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/5139/Main.htm is ok, not as much info & photos as the one above. 

Also try the link that I gave Silentmodeler for research on his aircraft carrier (near the top of this page I think).  You should find info on the USS America there, and a link to the ship's website.

Lok forward to seeing your work.

Thanks scotty    its more likely im using the TARPS,  something different and yeah  i didnt realized i need to get the weapons seperate from the kits when i read the weapons part on the sheet, argh  Its more likely im not using the weapons,  again  where on the flight deck do mostly of jets park with out the weapons   is it nearby the landing zone area?  im doing it with the wings spread out since i know mostly of the jets do fold or put wings in for more space for every jets to park.  do the jets take off without weapons such as training or ummm  mission or joy ride?  Joy ride dont sound right for the navy terms but know what i mean? 

Im wondering,  im not sure how to do it since i plan to paint overall gray (light ghost gray) but dont wanna to ruin some areas such as the 2 exhaust pipes, sorry i dont know the exactly names. and some fins on the back.  should i put everything together and paint it or paint it seperate then put it together   any suggest for me to make things easier  let me know thanks.

i would say im about 60% done or more likely 50%.  will post up the pictures soon  need to wait for some putty to dry up so i can sand it.

silentmodeler wrote:

Thanks scotty    its more likely im using the TARPS,  something different and yeah  i didnt realized i need to get the weapons seperate from the kits when i read the weapons part on the sheet, argh  Its more likely im not using the weapons,  again  where on the flight deck do mostly of jets park with out the weapons   is it nearby the landing zone area?  im doing it with the wings spread out since i know mostly of the jets do fold or put wings in for more space for every jets to park.  do the jets take off without weapons such as training or ummm  mission or joy ride?  Joy ride dont sound right for the navy terms but know what i mean?  Im wondering,  im not sure how to do it since i plan to paint overall gray (light ghost gray) but dont wanna to ruin some areas such as the 2 exhaust pipes, sorry i dont know the exactly names. and some fins on the back.  should i put everything together and paint it or paint it seperate then put it together   any suggest for me to make things easier  let me know thanks. i would say im about 60% done or more likely 50%.  will post up the pictures soon  need to wait for some putty to dry up so i can sand it.

Send me a private email there Silentmodeler.....  I might have some spare missle loads that I could send ya   Let me know what you want, and I'll check the ammo storehouse for current inventory.  You are building 1/72nd scale right?  IF you are building 1/48th scale, the ammo storehouse is not very well stocked.

As far as painting, in a situation like this, I would hold off putting the engine exhausts on until after I have painted (that is just my order of doing things)

If you don't load the plane for some 'kicking a$$' action, you could change your plan to having the Tomcat landing back on board.  The catapult wire(s) could be a fun challenge for you.  Just a thought

hey guys

i got a two questions.

Since i plan to put the TARPS on my VF 143,  does any weapons such as phoenix was put in front of the TARPS? or just leave the TARPS alone?

secondly, im wondering how to make a catapults since i want my pukin dogs look its ready for take off  any suggest?  let me know thanks

Silentmodeler,

Paint the kit in subassemblies as mph34 is suggesting.  That worked out well for me as I was building my plane, especially as I could add the wings, tail fins, stabilizers, and engine exhausts after everything else was done. 

Parking on the carrier can take place pretty much anywhere.  Typically two catapults have planes ready for launch in case of a threat (these are called the alert 5 and alert 15 aircraft as they can launch within five or fifteen minutes).  Anyway, wings were only swept fully forward just before launch (once the plane is in place on the catapult), and then for landing; moments after coming to a stop, the wings were folded back again.

For the weapons load with the TARPS pod, they vaguely show this configuration in the directions.  You would install the two part launcher under on the wing gloves and then install the front Phoenix pallets.  The typical load would be two sidewinder missiles and two sparrow missiles on the wing launchers and the front pallets would be left empty.  The missiles and pallets were all in place to help maintain the plane's center of gravity, so they needed to be installed.

One suggestion on the "ready for takeoff" look.  Use the shorter nose gear in the Hasegawa kit.  Prior to launch the plane would "setle" into its launch pose by collapsing the nose gear and lowering the catapult tow bar. 

From your previous question, I do not know of any easy way to build a catapult.  As I mentioned previously, I have the kit that Verlinden made, but I have never seen any others available.  Dragon (DML) put out a couple of 1/144 scale kits a few years ago that had a small section of the flight deck that included a catapult.  The hardest part would be recreating the jet blast deflectors.  One suggestion would be to have the wings swept back as though the plane were in line pulling up to the catapult.  This would prevent you from having to recreate a launch rail and JBD.  I was already thinking along the lines of what mph34 suggested with using my flight deck section to replicate the landing area and to have a plane touching down and just about to grab an arresting wire.  The trick will be to have the plane sitting on the back wheels only, as the front wheels do not hit until the tailhook grabs a wire (or after the plane has missed all of the wires).

Feel free to keep the questions rolling.

Scotty~

thanks for ur references.  It helps alot and i like the idea about the Tomcat pull forward to catapult with the wings swept back, but its kind of too late for me to do it since i already have the flap down and some of the parts was set for wings swept forward.    ill figure out something.  

you could always pose the tomcat in the seconds before launch pose...nose gear compressed wings out flaps down...steam rising from the catapults. looks kind of like this:

and this:

minihasek

thanks for the pictures,   its helps . 

update:  will be starting to airbrush the tomcats. then get start on my flight deck soon.  I will show to ya soon.

Silentmodeler,

I had not thought about what minihasek mentioned, but you could do some modifications to your flight deck section to make it look like the catapult section just forward of the jet blast defelectors.  That would allow you to pose your cat "ready to pounce".  I will see about getting a photo of my Verlinden catapult section and will take some measurements of the catapult section itself (rails and deckplates) in case you want to try to build something up on your deck. 

More Power Scotty wrote:

Silentmodeler, I had not thought about what minihasek mentioned, but you could do some modifications to your flight deck section to make it look like the catapult section just forward of the jet blast defelectors.  That would allow you to pose your cat "ready to pounce".  I will see about getting a photo of my Verlinden catapult section and will take some measurements of the catapult section itself (rails and deckplates) in case you want to try to build something up on your deck.

Scotty

Yeah,  Im trying to see if i can do some modifications on my flight deck.  but havent start on it yet.  Ill think of something to make my flight deck at the catapult section. 

Im curious  is it possblie for any jets to take off without catapults?  I know harriers can do it but not sure about others like tomcats or eagles or hornets.

the jet blast defelectors is the ummm  big plate that was lift from the flight deck to protect from the jet engine from burning crews and the plane?

Silentmodeler,

The catpults were developed to aid in the launch of aircraft, and essentially became a necessity with the advent of jet aircraft.  When the first F-14D was conducting carrier suitability tests on the Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) while I was onboard, it was rumored that it could launch without a catapult.  If you want more on that story let me know, otherwise, I will save some space here.  In short, all fixed wing aircraft (everything but helicopters) on the carriers are launched by use of a catapult.

You are mostly correct on the JBD's.  The jet blast deflectors are used mostly for the protection of flightdeck crew and other aircraft.  I realized just how much thrust jet engines produce by watching night operations.  Before that, I had no idea that an F-14 threw exhaust flames that hit and were deflected by the JBD's.  Having them allows crew members to work behind them while the plane preparing to launch runs up its engines for launch.  They also allow the next aircraft to line up so that they can quickly move into position after the previous plane clears the deck and the JBD has been lowered.  This allows a single catapult to launch a plane about every 60 seconds.

Keep the questions coming, this is almost as much fun as building. 

For the group, once I get a bit further with a couple of kits I am building for the Revell-Monogram groupbuild, I am going to build at least one of my two-plane kits of the final F-14 squadrons (VF-31 and VF-213).  These are 1/144 scale kits that Dragon recently released, and I had to have them.

just go to this website and look at the walk around section...itll help you every bit of the way:

http://www.anft.net/f-14/index.htm

minihasek,

Thanks for posting that reference site!   I am sure that I will find plenty of use for it!

diggeraone,

The speed brakes are used for landings, as can be seen on the website mini sent a link to.  They could also be utilized in the air, but I am assuming that you are showing the plane on the ground, so the brakes would be closed unless some maintenance work was being performed on them.

heres is my pictures of tomcat.  its not yet done.  havent start on decals and add few things on the bottom such as plyon, missiles, (that i got from espin1  thanks!) doors and TARP/ two gas tank i think, not sure what its called but know what im talking abt? 

notice:  the two tail wings are not glue on yet since have to put decals on it then ill glue it up.  I just realized, i use light ghost gray on the tomcat which was suppose to be gull light gray  argh argh,  i have misread the FS number. but it came out nicely. feedback or comment are welcome as always 

heres is my pictures of tomcat.  its not yet done.  havent start on decals and add few things on the bottom such as plyon, missiles, (that i got from espin1  thanks!) doors and TARP/ two gas tank i think, not sure what its called but know what im talking abt? 

notice:  the two tail wings are not glue on yet since have to put decals on it then ill glue it up.  I just realized, i use light ghost gray on the tomcat which was suppose to be gull light gray  argh argh,  i have misread the FS number. but it came out nicely. feedback or comment are welcome as always 

Nice job on the Tomcat there silenmodler.  I wouldn't get to bummed about using the wrong gray.  If you look at action photos of Tomcats, those planes took a beating; mainly due to the salt air and what it does to a paint job. 

 You have some good work there; it shows the attention that you put into your work.  Look forward to seeing the decals!

Thanks mph34   any idea how to make it looks beat from salt air?  im trying to figure it out.  its more likely leave that way. 

silentmodeler wrote:

Thanks mph34   any idea how to make it looks beat from salt air?  im trying to figure it out.  its more likely leave that way.

Several years ago, when I built another F-14 for a Hobby Shop that I worked at, I got a pretty good result, without knowing what I was doing.   After shooting it with the airbrush, I went and did a wash with a paint water mix of aobut 1 part paint, and 6 parts water.  I used a very light gray on top of the gull gray that I had usedto paint the plane.  I did it in one direction, and I probably put it on too heavy in a few areas.  After it dried, I had a pretty 'weather worn' Tomcat.  It still hangs in the hobby shop.  I was using acrylic paints (Model Master).  Again, look at some of the photos that are out there on the internet and you'll see that no two planes look alike at the end of a 6 month cruise.  Whatever you end up happy with will look good since there is no 'rule of thumb' that I know of.

Once again, into the breech.  I have not had any luck at all with all the GB's I've tried to participate in, but hope springs eternal, right?

Anyway, I've got two 1/48^th kits in various stages of completion that have been gathering dust for close to a year.  The first is one of the original Monogram kits before they reworked the molds to get the current A/B/D hybrid kit.  Fittingly, its destined to become one of the very first aircraft that VF-11 got after it had transitioned over to the F-14 from the F-4 in 1980.  Overall gloss gull grey with colorful markings, & no TCS pod.  The decals are from a Superscale sheet that I bought back in 1990.  If any of you have the D&S C&M for East Coast F-14s, it's the first aircraft pictured for VF-11.  I'll try to get some pics posted this weekend.  I'd say it's about 40% finished, so I hope that does not violate any GB rules.

The second is a Hasegawa D kit, which is about 10% finished.  Fittingly, this one is destined to be VF-101s retro scheme last flight bird, using VF-Decals sheet# 48-101LTDB.  Classic gloss gull over white.  I thought about throwing in one of the BB F-14D pits I've been hoarding for a long time, but in the end, I decided to just go with the kit pit to save time & effort.  Those Hase kits are a bear to build.

I've been in an F-14 mood since my fiancé gave me "Tomcat Sunset" on DVD for Valentines Day.

Ish

ishthe47guy

nice job on the cockpit!  i can see the details on the control panels very clear smiles.  cant wait to see the compete tomcats.

update on my pukin dog,  its almost done  still working on the decals then after it done will be doing the flight deck at the catapult section.  im trying to finish one aircraft for other gb then i can focus on the tomcat. will post the pictures up when its compete. 

Ishthe47guy wrote:

I'll try to get some pics posted this weekend.  I'd say it's about 40% finished, so I hope that does not violate any GB rules I've been in an F-14 mood since my fiancé gave me "Tomcat Sunset" on DVD for Valentines Day.

Rules not broken!   Glad to have you join.  Sad to say, but you are farther along than I am .

Hi, I was looking for reference material on the F-14 and stumbled in. Do you think I would be able to join your GB? I picked up a Hasegawa 1:48 F-14D today and will be doing a grim reaper. I am also building an Academy 1:48 tomcat that I started last week, do I just pick one?

I am pretty new to modelling, I built a couple when I was a kid, now they seem to take me a lot longer, and I am paying a LOT more attention to detail, but not sure if they are much better ;)

These tomcats will be my 3rd and 4th kits. Looking forward to seeing the results from you guys.

Hey Scratchbuilt.  By far, the best reference article for the Hasegawa 1/48^th F-14 kit is the article below.  I printed it out, & it's in my F-14 notebook.

http://www.kitparade.com/features01/f14constructiondwa_3.htm

Here are some good threads about the Academy F-14 kits:

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?act=Search&CODE=show&searchid=168bcb54c601209255897b52f6a6e629&search_in=posts&result_type=topics&highlite=Academy+F-14

I would start with the Academy kit first.  The Hasegawa kit is a real challenge to build.

What decals are you planning to use?  I've got some pics I took of the Reapers at an airshow a few years back.  PM me if you would like more of these pics to use.  

A good F-14 site is http://www.anft.net/f-14/.  Plenty of good info.  Also,

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/ has plenty of F-14 articles, & their forums are full of people who build F-14s.

Chris Ish

scratchbuilt wrote:

Hi, I was looking for reference material on the F-14 and stumbled in.

As long as you didn't get hurt when you stumbled in.  I don't want any lawsuits.   I will add you to the list of builders.

You can build both if you want, but I'll second the thing about the Hasegawa kit, it is a challenge to build.  If you are not comfortable with your building skills, I'd recomend that you put that kit on the 'back burner' for awhile.  It is one kit that you will want to study the instructions for a good deal, and then be able to handle the areas that are a bit 'cloudy' in what you are to do in a couple of steps. 

The Academy kit is good kit to challenge your skills, but only as much as you want to be challenged.  Feel free to post questions, most likely someone here has encountered your problem with something and can give you some great advise.

Look forward to seeing your progress!  Don't get intimidated by the work of others; just use their work for inspiration and reference.  We are all here to learn from others!